Stopper.



No.846,271. W PATENTED MAR.5,190'7.

B. F. WHELDEN.

STOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 71906.

BENJAMIN F. WHELDEN, OF LUDLOW, VERMONT.

STOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

. Application filed July 14:, 1906- fi NO- 326,217.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. WHEL- DEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ludlow, in the county of Windsor and- State of Vermont, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stoppers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stoppers designed for closing bottles or analogous vessels, and has for its objects to provide a comparatively simple inexpensive device of this character which may be readily applied for use, one whereby the mouth of the vessel will be effectually closed, and one which will wholly obviate unauthorized removal of the stopper for effecting fraudulent substitution of an inferior grade of goods for that originally contained in the bottle.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts'more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a section taken centrally through a bottleneck equipped with a stopper embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lower metal cap.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a bottle or analogous vessel having a tubular discharge portion or neck 2, provided at a point adjacent its longitudinal center with an external marginal groove 3, designed to render the neck highly frangible at said point, there being arranged in the neck, which is composed, as usual, of glass or other vitreous material, a lower stopper 4, composed of cork, and an upper stopper 5, composed of sealingwax or analogous material.

In the form of device disclosed in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 there is applied above the stopper 4, which is so positioned in the neck that the point 3 will lie at a point between its ends, a conical metal protecting member or cap 6, while beneath the stopper there is arranged a reversely-disposed substantially conical metal cap 7, having a tubular portion or flange 8 seated in an internal groove 9, formed in the neck, the caps 6 and 7 being joined to the ends of and connected by means of a metal connecting-member or rod 10, extended centrally and longitudinally through the stopper 4.

In practice the stopper 4, having the caps 6 and 7 applied in relatively reverse order to the ends thereof and secured in place by means of the connecting-rod 10, is inserted in the neck, after which the filling 5, of sealingwax or other cement, is poured into the neck above the stopper, it being understood, of course, that the vessel is previously filled. In order to open the bottle, the neck is broken at the point 3 and the upper portion removed, thereby exposing the upper end of the stopper 4 to permit of its ready extraction. It will be observed that in the event of an attempt being made to open the bottle by boring through the cement 5 the tool employed will contact with the metal cap 6 and be deflected thereby laterally toward the wall of the neck, from which it is evident that the stopper 4 can be removed only by breaking the neck, thus disclosing at a glance a fraudulent refilling of the bottle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A vessel having a tubular dischargeneck, a stopper arranged in the neck, the latter being provided at a point between the ends of the stopper with a frangible portion, metal caps arranged in the neck respectively above and below the stopper, and a cement filling in the neck above the uppermost cap.

2-. A vessel having a tubular dischargeneck, a stopper arranged in the neck, the latter being provided at a point between the ends of the stopper with a frangible portion, conical caps arranged respectively above and below the stopper, a connecting element extended through the stopper and terminally engaged with the'caps, and a cement filling in the neck above the uppermost cap.

3. A vessel having a tubular dischargeneck, a stopper arranged in said neck, the latter being provided at a point between the ends of the stopper with a frangible portion and at a point below said stopper with an inner marginal groove, a conical protectingcap seated in the neck above the stopper, a second cap arranged in the neck below the stopper and seated in said groove, a connecting element extended through the stopper and engaged with the cap, and a cement filling in the neck above the uppermost cap.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. WHELDEN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE J. KENWORTHY, FRANK. E. WYKES. 

